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GREEN AMMONIA SOLUTIONS

Ultra-efficient technology, decades of experience, and short times to market

Green ammonia
is the future

As a multipurpose, low carbon product that is increasingly being seen as gamechanger in decarbonizing shipping, agriculture and several other key industries, green ammonia is showing all the signs of exponential market growth. In fact, one recent analysis sees green ammonia accounting for some 300 mtpy, or two-thirds of all ammonia production by 2050, driven primarily by demand for green marine fuels and ammonia as an H2 carrier1

To meet this projected demand and further the green energy transition, it is vital that green ammonia production proves to be sustainable and profitable – and this all comes down to the quality of your ammonia loop.

By maintaining outstanding performance throughout its lifecycle, the right ammonia loop can overcome the complexity involved in synthesizing ammonia from CO2 and green hydrogen, and become the backbone of a profitable green ammonia plant. This is why your choice of ammonia partner is critical for success.

With nearly a century of leadership in ammonia production, Topsoe has the knowledge, experience and solutions it takes to succeed with green ammonia.


1. Argus Media Group, 2021: Green Ammonia Strategy Report.

Ammonia plants
the world trusts

Topsoe is the global leader in ammonia plant technology. We’ve been supplying ammonia solutions for over 80 years, and roughly half of all ammonia produced outside the PRC today is synthesized in a Topsoe loop.

Built around our proven S-series ammonia converter, Topsoe ammonia loops ensure maximum efficiency and reliability via a straightforward, energy-efficient process.

A major advantage with Topsoe is that we also supply the catalyst, carefully engineering the symbiosis between converter and catalyst to unleash efficiencies that can’t be had otherwise.

Topsoe supplies plants as conventional “stick-built” solutions or as our revolutionary ModuLite™ system, a prefabricated, truckable plant for capacities up to 600 MTPD.

Our extensive lifecycle services make sure the plants we deliver keep living up to their full potential.

Why “green ammonia”?

Carbon-free fuels and other chemicals are still an emerging technology. Because of this, the terminology used to denote various products is still in flux. While the term “eAmmonia” (or similar) could be used to denote ammonia produced by synthesizing green hydrogen and nitrogen, Topsoe follows dominant industry practice in calling this product “green ammonia.”

Made to withstand
feedstock fluctuations

The electrolyzers that produce green hydrogen feedstock are powered by renewable energy. This means that feedstock supplies are intermittent and often limited for extended periods.

With a traditional ammonia synthesis loop, safe, efficient and reliable operation requires a fairly stable supply of feedstock to the ammonia loop. Fluctuations in supply can force a plant into an emergency stop, which disrupts production, requires time-consuming restarts, and can lead to equipment fatigue that will shorten the plant’s lifetime.

Topsoe’s green ammonia loop can dynamically adjust its load by 3% per minute and operate reliably over sustained periods with loads as low as 10% of nameplate capacity. This dynamic flexibility results in greater uptime, a longer service life, and less need for costly storage solutions for reserve supplies of green hydrogen or renewable power.

S-300 Converter:
The beating heart of
a Topsoe ammonia loop

Built on decades of ammonia leadership and with over 50 installations worldwide, Topsoe’s S-300 radial flow ammonia converter is the beating heart of a Topsoe ammonia loop.

The converter’s three catalyst beds with radial flow allow for higher conversion rates using small catalyst particles. This results in higher overall catalyst activity, meaning greater overall efficiency and higher profit margins.

Advantages for green ammonia production include the ability to ramp up and down with fluctuating feedstock loads, as well as sustained reliable operation at loads down to 10% of nameplate capacity.

KM1: The
benchmark
for ammonia
production

Topsoe’s KM1 ammonia synthesis catalyst is used in over half the world’s ammonia converters, with more than 1,200 charges supplied over the years.

The KM1 features carefully selected promoters that ensure high and stable activity, resulting in a very long lifetime and record production rates. Typically, the KM1 is only replaced during plant revamps or when new converter internals are installed.

For even better performance, the KM1 is often installed in the top converter bed, with Topsoe’s magnetite-based KM 111 installed in the lower beds, where ammonia concentrations are higher.

With catalysts supplied by Topsoe, you can:

  • Maximize your plant’s design efficiency and sustain its performance
  • Minimize supply-chain risks with catalysts developed using non-exotic materials
  • Enjoy comprehensive support based on out eight decades of ammonia-industry experience
KM1 advantages

Long-term reliability 

Superior and stable activity

Outstanding poison resistance

Pre-reduced option for fast startup

 

KM 111 advantages

Unparalleled high and stable activity 

Higher ammonia production rates

Lower energy consumption

Shorter reduction times

 

Facts

KM series used in over half the world’s converters  

1,200 KM charges supplied to date 

topsoe advantage

 

Pick your
plant type

Green ammonia can be put to many uses, from vessel and aviation fuel to fertilizer. To make sure we can meet any green ammonia production needs, we offer classic stick-built options, designed to the client’s capacity specifications, plus our revolutionary Topsoe ModuLite plant.

Limited in capacity to 600 MTPD, ModuLite plants are unlimited in simplicity and ease of deployment. These prefabricated and truckable systems also offer the unique advantage that they can be delivered faster than traditional solutions, keeping time to market very short.

Stick-built or ModuLite, all Topsoe green ammonia plants safeguard project margins via superior efficiency and a long lifetime of unmatched performance.

 

PLANT TYPE 1

Stick built
for maximum
capacity

Projects needing to produce higher volumes of green ammonia should consider a stick-built plant. These plants offer capacities between 600 and 5000 MTPD, depending on the client’s needs.

Our stick-built plants are responsible for about half the world’s current ammonia production, with some 200 currently in operation worldwide.

Topsoe’s stick-built green ammonia production plants deliver superior efficiency and long-lasting high performance.

PLANT TYPE 2

ModuLite™ Green 
Ammonia for shorter 
time to market

Ideal for facilities requiring capacities up to 600 MTPD, a Topsoe ModuLite Green Ammonia plant is supplied as prefabricated, truckable modules. The benefits of a ModuLite plant include rapid deployment, a plug-and-play architecture, and less work on site – all of which gets production and revenue flowing sooner.

ModuLite plants are modular solutions in the sense that each plant comprises a number of prefabricated modules, plus the ammonia converter. Every plant is designed to meet specific green ammonia production volume requirements, and the ModuLite Green Ammonia plant is available in 300 and 600 MTPD versions.

Although the ModuLite name is new, Topsoe has been working with and perfecting our modular concept for decades, giving you a green ammonia solution that is tried, tested and mature.

Working with Topsoe

When you Topsoe as your one-stop partner for green ammonia synthesis, you choose a storied industry leader that is wholly committed to the energy transition and to innovating solutions that will enable it.

The key to our success has always been a unique symbiosis between technology and catalysts, enhanced with expert services, and all built on a century-old tradition of solid science.

At our headquarters in Denmark, our research and development team works constantly to improve our solutions and bring you new ones. And we offer a wide range of aftermarket services, from corrective and preventative maintenance to logistics support and staff training.

Benefits of choosing Topsoe as your one-stop partner include:

  • Faster executions times, with all solutions offered by a single partner
  • Eliminate obstacles to exchange of IP between licensors
  • Seamlessly integrate upstream and downstream technologies without gaps or duplication

The green ammonia
ecosystem

Topsoe’s green ammonia production loops are part of an end-to-end solution that can also include our revolutionary SOEC electrolyzers for producing green hydrogen and our H2Retake™ cracking solution for converting green ammonia back into green hydrogen.

SOEC Electrolyzer

Based on abundant, non-noble materials, our proprietary high-temperature SOEC electrolyzers produce green hydrogen 20–30% more efficiently than alkaline and PEM technologies. Other benefits include longer runtimes and higher output, quicker restarts and rapid-response ramping, and optimal renewable-power and electrolyzer-section sizing. SOEC can even electrolyze CO2 to generate CO for use in eJet and other eFuels.

ModuLite™ Green Ammonia Plant

Topsoe’s ModuLite green ammonia plant is intended specifically for PtX applications. Designed for fast delivery and commissioning, the prefabricated and renewables-optimized plant ensures maximum efficiency and performance over a longer period of time, resulting in higher profits.

H2Retake™ Ammonia Cracking

Accommodating an ammonia feed range of 100–3400 MTPD, Topsoe's high-efficiency H2Retake™  ammonia cracking solution produces zero-carbon green hydrogen at up to 99.9999% purity for use in a wide range of applications.

 

 

Get In Touch

Jes Nikolaj Knudsen

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